Read Garnet or Garnets Curse for Free Online

push. “Hurry,” he said, and closed the door behind me.
    Then as before, he drove hard and fast for what seemed like hours. We traveled through village after village. Slowly everything that was once familiar began to fade, replaced by rough roads and hillsides sparsely decorated with thatch-roof houses.
    It was late in the month of October and as the sun went down, I started to tremble. I took out my watch, but between the bouncing and my nervous anticipation, I was unable to read the dial.
    After hours of rough travel and a full bladder, I screamed out as we approached the last village. “We have just got to stop or I will go mad!”
    “Relax darling,” Father said, looking at me almost mockingly. “This is where we will catch the ferry.”
    “Ferry?” I asked.
    “Yes, soon I will tell you the entire plan. Garnet, I know all of this has left you piqued. I appreciate you not getting testy with me. I have gone to great length and expense to protect you from Aurochs’ curse. This is all for you.”
    He said nothing more and turned down a road leading to a small dock. He parked the carriage. “Over there,” he said, and pointed to one of the weather-beaten buildings. “Ask for Nell and tell her your name is Margo. She will take you to freshen up and then you may order us something to eat. I will be in after I make our arrangements.”
    He seemed unconcerned of my welfare and left me sitting alone in the carriage. I sat there until he disappeared inside one of the adjacent buildings. I had little choice but to follow his orders. I climbed out of the carriage on my own, which reminded me of his increasing ill manners. I gathered my skirt up around my knees and treaded across the wet, sandy road.
    I cautiously stepped up on the porch wondering who or what might be inside. I stopped for a moment taking notice of a mother dog lying on a dirty blanket nursing a litter of pups. The flies swarming over the feed bowl of cut-up meat scraps turned my stomach. The sight made me think of Auntie’s poor little dog. I hoped someone was taking care of her at home. If I thought I could have found my way home, I would have run back to the carriage and taken off.
    I felt it was hopeless and turned back to the fingerprinted door. It was heavy and it took all my strength to open. When I stepped inside, the door slammed behind me and nearly knocked me down.
    The unexpected bang caused every head to turn my way. The place reeked of fishermen and sin. In the dim light, I saw a few women with dresses drooping down, exposing the better part of their breasts.
    I had never been in a place like that and it took a moment for me to regain my composure. Slowly I walked up to the bar and asked for Nell. The man behind the bar shouted out, “Nell, you expecting a new girl?”
    Around the corner came a middle-aged woman. She was tall, broad-shouldered with gray hair bobbed off midways of her ears. I could have easily mistaken her for a man.
    “You must be Margo?” she asked, eyeing me up and down.
    I hesitated, but as directed, I said, “yes.”
    “I bet you need to piss and wash the road grime off before you commence to eat.” Her comment was vulgar, but she was right. “Follow me,” she said. The men went back to their eating and drinking. Only a few looked up as we crossed the room.
    A man sitting by the door spat a wad of tobacco out on the floor in front of us. “Dammit Hugo!” she said, and kicked the wad under the table with her bare foot. “We have a lady here tonight and she does not want to walk through your filthy spit.”
    Nell held back a black curtain for me to enter into an unknown darkness. She came in behind me and touched my shoulder. “Wait, I will turn on the light.” In a split second, the hall lit up by a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling. It was unusual for such an establishment to have electricity. She saw the look on my face and laughed. “Straight out back is the washhouse,” she said, pointing to